1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copolymeric gel for use in gel chromatography which is obtained by copolymerizing vinyl pyrrolidone and a trifunctional crosslinking agent having a triazine ring.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
It has been known to use the following substrates for a separation, purification and desalting of proteins.
(1) Natural polymers obtained by dextrane, cellulose, starch and derivatives thereof; PA0 (2) Synthetic polymers such as polyacrylamide, polymethacrylic acid, maleic anhydride-ethylene copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, and polystyrene modified resin; PA0 (3) Inorganic substrates such as porous glass, activated carbon, alumina and acid clay.
In view of superior separation and purification of proteins, safety and non-adsorbability, a crosslinked dextran such as Sephadex (manufactured by Pharmacia Co.) agarose such as Sephalose as natural products and derivatives thereof, have been mainly used. These substrates are obtained from natural products, however, have usually inferior mechanical strength to the synthetic polymer (2) or the inorganic substrate (3). It has been well-known that the substrates do not impart satisfactory characteristics because of the crushing or compression of the substrate when these substrates are industrially used in a high water content region. Moreover, a resistivity to an acid or a base is not usually satisfactory.
Although the inorganic substrates exhibit excellent mechanical strength, they are not very hydrophilic. Moreover, the inorganic substrates could not be used in the fractionation of proteins because the inorganic substrates are specifically adsorptive to proteins which are used in aqueous solutions.
The synthetic polymers (2) have properties between the natural products and the inorganic substrates. Any synthetic polymer having satisfactory characteristics of the fractioning function, hydrophilic property, mechanical strength, safety, acid resistance, alkali resistance and non-specific adsorbability, has not been found. Although various disadvantages have been found, the natural products (1) have been used as the substrates.